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History is in Trouble in New York State [1]
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Date: 2023-05-17
The New York State Education Department is planning to drop student performance in social studies from the way it evaluates schools as part of its Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. In its proposed Rebuild Model for Accountability plan for high schools, student performance on the 10th grade Global History Regents exam and the 11th grade United States History and Government Exam Social Studies will not be included in the High School Weighted Average Achievement score or Core Subject Performance for the 2023-2025 school years.
The Education Department describes the proposed changes as "pauses" in the inclusion of the Social Studies Regents exam scores, but once paused, it is unlikely social studies performance will ever be included in the assessments and what is not assessed is not going to be a priority. New York's original ESSA plan was actually celebrated for its inclusion of Social Studies. New York State has tested student knowledge and skills in social studies for decades on statewide Regents exams.
The Long Island Council for the Social Studies and the New York State Council for the Social Studies have both adamantly objected to the change. New York State has already eliminated fifth grade and eighth grade tests in history and social studies that were used to measure student learning and to help teachers design curriculum. It also eliminated world history prior to 1750 from its 10th grade exam removing the impact of the Columbian Exchange on the indigenous people of the Americas and the trans-Atlantic slave trade as important topics that students need to explore. In addition, the 10th and 11th grade assessments pared away at the content students are expected to know as the State Education Department pushes for instruction focused on reading and math skills because those tests are used to evaluate schools and districts.
The Long Island Council for the Social Studies argues, “This proposal should not be enacted because it is a danger to democracy in New York State. Democracy depends upon an informed citizenry but the New York State Education Department, by seeking to downgrade social studies in our schools, seeks to limit student knowledge while claiming it supports student civic knowledge and an active citizenry. Without being held accountable for basic knowledge of the principles and values of our nation, there can be no democracy, only demagoguery, and tyranny.”
At the same time that New York State plans to eliminate social studies as a core subject, the country is sharply divided over its history and its impact on the present, especially the role played by race and racism. The Education Department should be ensuring that schools and districts engage students in these discussions, not find reasons to ignore them because they won’t count for assessment.
The “pause” is also coming at a time when studies show that there is “a marked drop in students’ knowledge of United States history” and there is no national mandate to teach social studies, history, and civics. On the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress exams, approximately 40% middle school students scored “below basic” in U.S. history, largely because they learned no U.S. history in elementary school. And the numbers are getting worse. In 2014, 29% of students scored “below basic.” Meanwhile, only 13% of eighth graders were considered proficient, compared to 18% ten years ago.
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